Apparatus for purifying feed-water



(No Model.)

S G CABELL APPARATUS FOR PURIPYING FEED WATER.

Patented Apr. 11, 1893.

fizvazzior fliiorrzeys Zl/z'Zness es UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL G. CABELL, OF \VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO FLORA B. CABELL, OF SAME PLACE, MILTON S. CABELL, OF QUINCY, ILLI- NOIS, AND HARVEY S. BROWN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING FEED-WATER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 495,242, dated April 11, 1893.

Application filed February 13, 1892. Serial No. 421,397. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, SAMUEL G. OABELL, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Purifying Feed- Water; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

It has heretofore been proposed to prevent incrustation or the formation of scale in steam boilers by subjecting the feed water before it is passed into the boiler to the action of a galvanic battery, and Letters Patent of the United States, No. 438,57 9, were granted to Albert B.Faunce and Samuel C. Cabell, on the 14th of October, 1890, therefor. It has, however, been found in practice that where the exhaust steam or water of condensation is fed back into the boiler to be reconverted into steam, it contains or carries with it more or less of the lubricating oil or grease carried into the cylinder of the engine for lubricating the piston, and that this oil or grease adheres to the elements of the battery, and forms a coating thereon which materially affects and reduces the strength of the battery or renders it weak. It is also well known that oil or grease is objectionable in the boiler, and various means and devices have been resorted to and used for collecting and removing the oil and grease from the feed water before it reaches the boiler. It will, therefore, be seen that when using or practicing the invention set forth in the Letters Patent referred to, it is doubly desirable to remove or extract the oil and grease from the feed water, first to prevent it from reaching and afiecting the battery as above set forth, and second, to prevent it from entering the boiler. The removal of oil and grease from the feed water is therefore the prime object of my invention, while a further object is to simplify,

and improve the battery shown in said former Letters Patent.

My invention consists in the arrangement of instrumentalities and combinations of parts, as hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1, represents a central, vertical section through my purifier and separator, and Fig. 2, is a plan view of one of the electrodes. Fig. 3 is a section showing copper-plated carbons.

A designates a cylindrical shell or gland made in two sections 1 and 2, the adjoining ends of which are provided with flanges a a, which are bolted together with suitable packing between them to secure a tight joint. From the bottom of the lower section 2, rises an interior cylindrical shell B to substantially the height of the lower section 2 of the outer shell or gland. This interior cylinder is of such diameter relatively to that of the outer shell or gland as to leave a considerable annular space b between the two.

In the side wall of the shell or casing A, near the bottom of the lower section 2, is an inlet passage 0 with which the feed pipe leading from the pump (not shown) is connected,

and through which the feed water is intro-.

duced into the chamber 1). At, or near, the bottom of the cylindrical shell B, is an outlet passage e which leads out through the wall of the outer shell A and connects with the boiler. The feed water is introduced into the annular chamber 1) and rises therein until it flows over the top of the shell B and into the latter, from which it passes to the boiler through the outlet passage 6.

The cylinder B has a copper lining f, and

in a horizontal plane above theinlet and outlet passages c 6, it has an interior flange or shoulder g which supports a series of negative and positive plates H, I, which form the elements of a galvanic battery or voltaic pile. These plates are circular disks of a size to fit snugly within the cylinder B. They are out out atthe center and taper down to an edge around the central opening, and they are notched from the center outward to form inwardly-projecting pointed teeth h, 'i, as shown in Fig. 2. The positive elements of this battery may be made either of carbon or of cop per, or of both. For certain reasons I propose to make them of carbon electro-plated with copper. The galvanic plates II, I, so formed, are placed in the cylinder 13 in the usual order, the zinc and copper plates alternating with each other, commencing at the bottom with a zinc plate and ending with a copper plate at the top. The plates composing the battery rest upon each other at their outer edges, and all are in contact with the copper lining f. The water flowing, as above described, passes through this battery and is subjected to galvanic action, whereby the deleterious impurities held in solution or suspension are affected so as to prevent their deposition to form scale in the boiler. We also claim to remove scale already formed in the boiler, as explained in the patent already referred to.

Inasmuch as the galvanic action of the battery has no effect upon the oil and grease contained in the water, it. becomes necessary to employ means for separating and extracting the same, and the means I have devised for effecting this, I will now proceed to describe.

The upper section 1, of the gland A, forms a chamber into which the water rises, as indicated in Fig. 1. The, upper part of this chamber, which is preferably rounded as shown, forms an air chamber into which the air contained in the apparatus before water is admitted is compressed by the rise of the water, which air forms an elastic cushion to produce steady and uniform action. The oil and grease contained in the water being lighter than the water rise to the surface and form a scum thereon which is drawn of from time to time through a blow-off pipe J set in the wall of the gland, the inner end of which pipe, is funnel-shaped and stands in a plane coincident with the water line. The scum formed, when it rises high enough flows over the edge of the funnel and into the pipe J, from which it is drawn off from time to time by openingavalve or cockj. Instead of having the outlet leading to the boiler at the bottom of the apparatus, as above described, and as shown at e, I may have it at the top, In such case, I extend the outlet pipe 6' well down into the water chamber, so that its end will be below the surface of the Water and so as to prevent the scum of oil and grease on the surface from being drawn off.

In manufacturing the apparatus, it may be provided with the two outlets e and e, and by providing both with stop cocks either maybe connected with the boiler, as may be found most convenient.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is 1. The combination of a voltaic pile arranged in a gland in the feed-water passage to aboiler and having a passage through it and means arranged in said gland for collecting and separating oil and grease contained in said feed water, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a voltaic pile having a longitudinal passage through it, means for passing feed water through the elements of said pile to a boiler and means for collecting oil and grease, the same comprising a water and collecting chamber arranged above said pile and a blow-01f pipe leading from about the water level of said chamber through the wall of the latter, substantially as described.

3. In a feed-water purifier and oil extractor, the combination of a main vessel, an inlet port near the bottom thereof, an outlet port leading from near the bottom, an annular partition extending from the bottom, a galvanic pile having a passage through it within th partition, a dome or chamber above the main vessel and a blow-off leading from the dome.

4. In afeed-water purifier, the combination of a vessel for receiving the feed-water,a galvanic battery cup located within said vessel with a water space between the two, a series of galvanic plates in said vessel in contact with each other, and having a water passage through them, an inlet port opening into the space between the vessel and cup, and an outlet portfrom the battery cup through the outer vessel, the said inlet and outlet ports communicating with each other through the battery cup and plates, substantially as described.

5. In afeed-water purifier,the combination of a shell or gland and a galvanic pile arranged within said gland consisting of layers of positive and negative elements, each element comprising a ring portion and teeth or fingers projecting inwardly from said portion, the ring portions of said elements being in direct contact with each other, substantially as described.

In testimony whereo-fI affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL G. CABELL.

Witnesses:

WM. M. STOCKBRIDGE, D. B. GALLATIN.

ICO 

